Opposite Worlds is an American reality game show that originally aired on the cable channel Syfy. The format of the show was based on the successful Chilean series Mundos Opuestos which aired from 2012 to 2013 on the national free-to-air channel Canal 13. The series revolved around a group of strangers divided into two teams, and made to live in a house divided by "future" and "past" themes. The teams competed in weekly challenges to determine where they would live. One contestant, known as the Decider, selected two contestants to compete in a challenge, with the loser being eliminated from the game. The winner of the series, determined after six weeks, won a $100,000 prize. The series was hosted by Luke Tipple. The show premiered on January 21, 2014 and aired on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the latter being a live elimination episode. The show was cancelled after one season.[1][better source needed]
| Opposite Worlds | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality competition |
| Created by | Sergio Nakasone |
| Directed by | Hans van Riet |
| Presented by | Luke Tipple |
| Country of origin | United States Chile (Franchise) |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Curtis Colden |
| Running time | 43 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syfy |
| Release | January 21 – February 26, 2014 |
| Related | |
| Mundos Opuestos | |
History
editThe Chilean series Mundos Opuestos first premiered in January 2012, and featured a total of thirty-two contestants who were both celebrities and non-celebrities, including Richard Rubin of Beauty and the Geek.[2][3] The series proved to be an early success, and editions for Turkey, Mexico, and the United States were later announced to be in the works.[4][5] The series was first announced in October 2013, and was slated for a January 2014 release.[6] The series officially launched on January 21, 2014.[7] In a Tweet dated March 1, 2015, the host, Luke Tipple, confirmed the show was canceled.[8]
Format
editOpposite Worlds is a game show in which a group of contestants live in isolation from the outside world in a custom built "house", constantly under video surveillance. The house is divided by a "future" (luxurious Space Age) and "past" (primitive Stone Age) theme, with a glass wall dividing the two areas.[9] The contestants are divided into two teams, and participate in a weekly "Worldly Challenge" to determine which area the teams will stay; the winning team is given the option to live in the future or the past.[10] The two teams later select one of their own to be "protected" for the week, and thus are not able to be eliminated that week. Viewers then vote for one of the two protected contestants to become the "Decider", who then select one player from each team to face off in "The Duel of Destiny".[11] The loser of the duel is eliminated from the competition.[12] Though the show is hosted by Luke Tipple, the house also features an electronic voice, Athena, who communicates with those in the "future" area of the house.
While the series was airing, it featured a "Twitter Popularity Index" (TPI), which was used to determine the popularity of each contestant; the most popular contestant received a reward, while the least popular received a punishment.[9]
Season details
edit| Season | Launch date | Finale date | Days | Contestants | Winner | Prize money | Average viewers (millions) |
Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | January 21, 2014 | February 26, 2014 | 42 | 14 |
Frank Sansonetti | $100,000 | TBA | 12 |
Development
editIn October 2012, it was confirmed that SyFy had picked up the rights to air the series for twelve episodes for a total of six weeks.[6] Mark Stern, president of content over SyFy, said the series "has become an absolute phenomenon [...] This groundbreaking, edgy program is a remarkable television experiment transporting the audience and the contestants into starkly opposite worlds, simultaneously."[5] The series was executive produced by J. D. Roth, Todd A. Nelson, Brant Pinvidic, Adam Kaloustian and Curtis Colden for Eyeworks USA.[13] Casting for the series was done both online and through casting calls, with applicants being able to submit videos to SyFy or to appear at a casting call.[14] It was noted that eight out of the original twelve contestants were from California, while three of the potential four contestants were from California as well.[15] Wyatt, JR, Frank, and Charles were the only contestants who submitted their applications online.[14]
It was announced on January 9, 2014 that Luke Tipple would host the series.[16] Tipple had previously been on television series' for networks such as The CW and the Discovery Channel.[17] The contestants entered the house on January 16, 2014.[18] The cast was revealed on January 14, 2014.[15] Rachel Lara is a working actress and starred in Lionsgate's thriller movie, 'Killer Holiday', and had previously been a character model for Capcom's' Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City video game.[14] Jesse Wilson had previously appeared on the reality series Love in the Wild (2012).[19] Aside from the original twelve contestants, an additional four contestants were revealed to be potential contestants, with the public deciding which two should enter the game.[20] The two contestants selected entered the house at a later date.[21]
Opposite Worlds originally aired on Tuesdays and Wednesdays on the Syfy network.[14] The Wednesday episode of the series was announced to be live, making it the first Syfy series to air live episodes.[22] The show was simulcasted in Canada on Bell Media's Space channel. In addition they hold the rights to produce a local edition of the show.[23]
Contestants
edit| Contestant | Original Team | Switched Team | Merged Team | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Haskins 39, New York City, NY |
Epoch | 14th Place Day 5 | ||
| Rachel Lara 27, Sherman Oaks, CA |
Chronos | 13th Place Day 7 | ||
| Wyatt Werneth 47, Cocoa Beach, FL |
Epoch | 12th Place Day 14 | ||
| Angela Lima 34, Minneapolis, MN |
Epoch | 11th Place Day 21 | ||
| Danielle Pascente 25, Phoenix, AZ |
Chronos | Chronos | 10th Place Day 28 | |
| Steve DiCarlo 24, Burnt Hills, NY |
Epoch | Epoch | 9th Place Day 29 | |
| Mercy Ukpolo 25, Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
Chronos | Chronos | 7th/8th Place Day 35 | |
| Jesse Wilson 34, Knights Ferry, CA |
Chronos | Chronos | 7th/8th Place Day 35 | |
| Lisette Resille 32, Tucson, AZ |
Chronos | Chronos | Individuals | 5th/6th Place Day 36 |
| Lauren Schwab 27, Valley Center, KS |
Epoch | Epoch | 5th/6th Place Day 36 | |
| Samm Murphy 28, Jacksonville, FL |
Epoch | Epoch | 4th Place Day 42 | |
| Jeffry Calle 25, Suffern, NY |
Chronos | Chronos | 3rd Place Day 42 | |
| J.R. Cook 28, Knoxville, TN |
Epoch | Epoch | 2nd Place Day 42 | |
| Frank Sansonetti 33, Staten Island, NY |
Chronos | Epoch | Winner Day 42 |
Potential candidates
editFour of the potential cast members were revealed for a public vote prior to the start of the season. The two players with the most votes moved into the house in time for the January 21 taped episode. The poll was won by Mercy and Steve.[18]
| Name | Age | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin | 38 | Monroe, NY |
| Mercy | 25 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
| Natela | 30 | Sochi, Russia |
| Steve | 24 | Burnt Hills, NY |
Summary
editOn Day 1, the original twelve players entered the house in two groups; Danielle, Frank, Jeffry, Jesse, Lisette, and Rachel formed the Chronos team, and lived in the future area while Angela, Charles, JR, Lauren, Samm, and Wyatt formed the Epoch team in the past area.[24] The following day, the contestants competed in the first Worldly Challenge, which saw the contestants facing off on a platform attempting to knock one another off using stun guns.[25] During the competition, Charles broke his leg and Lauren broke her finger and sprained her wrist.[26] Though Lauren returned to the game that night, Charles remained outside of the house.[14] Chronos won the competition after it came down to a tie-breaker round, and chose to remain in the future area. On Day 3, Lisette and JR were chosen to be the two protected contestants.[14] On Day 7, It was revealed J.R. won The Decider with 90% of the vote. J.R. decided to put in Angela and Rachel in The Duel in which Angela won.[14]
Game history
edit| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Final | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldly Challenge Winners |
Chronos | Chronos | Chronos | Epoch | Chronos | Frank JR |
JR | none | ||||
| Protected | Lisette | Frank | Danielle | Jesse | Jeffry | none | Frank | none | ||||
| JR | Lauren | Samm | JR | Lauren | ||||||||
| The Decider | JR | Lauren | Samm | JR | none | Lauren | Frank JR |
none | none | |||
| Duel Nominees |
Rachel | Jesse | Frank | Danielle | none | Jesse | none | none | none | |||
| Mercy | ||||||||||||
| Angela | Wyatt | Angela | Steve | Frank | ||||||||
| Samm | ||||||||||||
| Frank | Safe | Protected (7%) |
Nominated | Safe | Safe | Nominated | Co-Decider | Protected | Winner | |||
| JR | The Decider (>90%) |
Safe | Safe | The Decider (>93%) |
Safe | Safe | Co-Decider | Won Quiz | Runner Up | |||
| Jeffry | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Protected (>14%) |
Chosen | Lost Quiz | Eliminated (Day 42) | ||||
| Samm | Safe | Safe | The Decider (86%) |
Safe | Safe | Nominated | Chosen | Lost Quiz | Eliminated (Day 42) | |||
| Lauren | Safe | The Decider (93%) |
Safe | Safe | Protected | The Decider (<86%) |
Not Chosen 4 | Eliminated (Day 36) | ||||
| Lisette | Protected (<10%) |
Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Not Chosen 4 | Eliminated (Day 36) | ||||
| Jesse | Safe | Nominated | Safe | Protected (<7%) |
Safe | Nominated | Eliminated (Day 35) | |||||
| Mercy | Not in House |
Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Nominated | Eliminated (Day 35) | |||||
| Steve | Not in House |
Safe | Safe | Nominated | Voted Out 3 | Eliminated (Day 29) | ||||||
| Danielle | Safe | Safe | Protected (14%) |
Nominated | Eliminated (Day 28) | |||||||
| Angela | Nominated | Safe | Nominated | Eliminated (Day 21) | ||||||||
| Wyatt | Safe | Nominated | Eliminated (Day 14) | |||||||||
| Rachel | Nominated | Eliminated (Day 7) | ||||||||||
| Charles | Evacuated (Day 5) | |||||||||||
| Rewarded | none | JR | Lauren | Jesse | Lauren | Lauren | none | |||||
| Punished | Jeffry | Jesse | Jeffry | Jeffry | Lisette | |||||||
Notes
edit- Represents Team Chronos
- Represents Team Epoch
- ^Note 3 After losing the challenge Team Epoch had to vote someone off. They voted off Steve.
- ^Note 4 After winning the challenge, each of the two winners pick another to continue as well, effectively removing the two unpicked players.
Reception
editNaShantá Fletcher called the show "freakishly addicting."[27] YouTube cultural critic Jenny Nicholson referred to the program as "the worst reality show of all time," citing the numerous injuries on set, the unequal treatment of the two teams, and the lack of playtesting evident in many of the challenges.[28][29]
References
edit- ^ Tipple, Luke (March 1, 2015). "@DeepiSamra nah, the network cancelled it. But you would have been a great contestant!". Archived from the original on December 13, 2022.
- ^ "LUN.COM Mobile".
- ^ "Banijay - News".
- ^ www.canalrcnmsn.com | Nuestra Tele Archived 2013-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "'Opposite Worlds': Past vs. Future Reality Show Coming to SyFy". October 8, 2012.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (October 22, 2013). "Syfy Greenlights Interactive Competition Reality Series 'Opposite Worlds'".
- ^ hercules. "SALINGER On PBS' AMERICAN MASTERS!! The Premieres Of Syfy's OPPOSITE WORLDS!!". Aint It Cool News.
- ^ Tipple, Luke (March 1, 2015). "@DeepiSamra nah, the network cancelled it. But you would have been a great contestant!".
- ^ a b "Opposite Worlds FAQ - Opposite Worlds - FAQ". syfy.com. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ "Log In or Sign Up to View". www.facebook.com.
- ^ "About - Opposite Worlds - Syfy". syfy.com. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ What to Watch Tonight: Justified, The Mindy Project, and the Series Premiere of Syfy's Opposite Worlds - TV.com
- ^ "Breaking News - Luke Tipple to Host Syfy's "Opposite Worlds" - TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Opposite Worlds". SYFY.
- ^ a b "Meet the 'Opposite Worlds' Cast on Syfy – What's the California connection?". January 14, 2014.
- ^ "Luke Tipple to Host Syfy's 'Opposite Worlds'". January 9, 2014. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Luke Tipple Hosts Syfy's New Reality Series OPPOSITE WORLDS, Beg. Tonight". BroadwayWorld.com.
- ^ a b Rob Cesternino (January 17, 2014). "Talking with the Host of SyFy's 'Opposite Worlds' & Much More". Rob Has a Podcast (Podcast). Archived from the original on February 1, 2014.
- ^ "Exclusive: Jesse Wilson dishes on his 'Love in the Wild' experience (Part 1)". Reality TV World.
- ^ "Syfy Reveals 10 Players for New Series OPPOSITE WORLDS". BroadwayWorld.com.
- ^ "Opposite Worlds - AT&T U-verse".
- ^ Turano, Sammi. "Five Fun Facts About Summer House Star Paige DeSorbo". TV Grapevine.
- ^ ""Opposite Worlds" heads to Canada".
- ^ Your Reality Recaps Opposite Worlds Recaps
- ^ RobHasApodcast (January 22, 2014). "LIVE Recap of the 'Opposite Worlds' Series Premiere".
- ^ "First thoughts on Opposite Worlds, aka Glass House 2.0". reality blurred. January 22, 2014.
- ^ Fletcher, NaShantá (February 28, 2014). "Review of Syfy's Freakishly Addicting 'Opposite Worlds'". Chicago Now. Alter Ego Maniac. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014.
- ^ Nicholson, Jenny (February 6, 2018). "The Worst Reality Show of All Time". YouTube.
- ^ Stevenson, Tyler (2020). Reality television: guilty pleasure or positive influence?. New York: Lucent Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-5345-6700-9.